Stability
by AnimeDutchess
Summary: Ash had a bad day...and a bad night...AND a bad morning! But a simple gesture puts him back on track. Palletshippy-ish more like friendship, I suppose , Oneshot.


_**Stability**_

By AnimeDutchess

A/N: This just popped into my head...literally. XD;; It's so sweet and beautiful and simple, I really didn't want to lose it.

...

Disclaimer: I really, _really_ wished I owned Pokemon...you have no idea.

...

It had started out as a normal morning for Ash; Pikachu was cheery, Dawn was fussing over her hair, and Brock was being the parental figure as usual. It was these kind of mornings that would put anyone in a good mood, because they were so _predictable_, a reliable piece of your day that, no matter what happens, was always there for you to fall back on. It was stable, and despite how Ash loved change and adventure, there was that small part in him, as in all of us, that absolutely needed times like this.

And boy, did he need some normalacy. The day before had been a flurry of nonstop commotion, what with several ambushes from wild Pokemon, a number of trainers challenging all three of them in a row, and to top it all off, Team Rocket pulling off another pit-fall trap. Sure, they blasted off as soon as the trap went off due to some random fluke, but it was still a pain in the ass to climb out of that thing...it was so deep, it actually took until nightfall for the trio and their creatures to emerge victorious. It had been far too late to keep going until they reached a Pokemon Center, so they had just stopped there for the night...

Which hadn't been so peaceful, either. Twice they had been woken up by some loony Noctowl that seemed hell-bent on ruining their night (the second time, Pikachu became fed up and knocked it into next week with a Thunderbolt).

Suffice to say, Ash was secretly looking forward to this morning, when everyone would be too busy to focus on the problems of yesterday, and they'd fade away by breakfast, becoming nothing more than a speck in the dust by the time camp was cleared and they were on their way.

And then Paul appeared.

Ash had just made it back to camp when the sullen trainer approached him, seeming to materialize out of the bushes. The copper-eyed boy immediately tried to be nice, even though he knew it wouldn't work, and asked Paul how he was.

...Let's just say that in five minutes, Paul was leaving, and Ash was storming away in the opposite direction, convinced that his morning - nay, his entire day - was completely and utterly ruined. Of course, Dawn and Brock had witnessed the whole thing, and were in slight shock as to what exactly had happened, but they could tell by Ash's expression that he needed time to cool off...

...

"D-Dammit..." Ash sniffled, wiping away at his eyes furiously. "Why am I crying? Why?" He wiped his hands on his pants briefly before attacking his eyes again. "I thought I was over stuff like this! I'm fifteen, for Mew's sake..." He sighed in confusion. "Teasing shouldn't still..._do_ this to me..." Ash drew his knees to his chest and shifted his hat so it covered the top part of his face. No one was going to see Ash Ketchum crying over something stupid. NO ONE.

When the bushes nearby rustled, Ash stiffened; no matter who it was, he didn't want anyone to see him like this. He just hugged his knees tighter as footfalls approached him, and the slight change in light alerted him to the tresspasser's shadow hanging over him.

"...Ash?"

Oh, great. It was _him_.

"...What?" Ash tried to keep his voice neutral. The light changed again; _he_ must've been kneeling at Ash's level now.

"What are you doing all the way out here without your friends...or even Pikachu?" A hand tried to lift up Ash's hat, which he immediately clamped down on. "Come on, lemme see your face."

"...No."

"Why not?" Ash sighed at this, letting the hand guarding his hat drop.

"Well, it's ju - HEY!" His hat was snatched away, and Ash looked up to glare into brilliant green eyes. "Give it _back_, Gary!" He dove for his hat, but Gary held it over both their heads and leaned back slightly, a cocky grin on his face.

"Nuh-uh, I think I'll keep this little treasure..." Gary drawled, taking in Ash's face. His grin then melted into a soft, concerned frown. "Wow, Ash, you have a bad night? You look like hell." Ash let out a breath, wiping at his now dry eyes.

"Bad night...bad day, bad morning...I-I'm kinda burnt out..." He yawned. "I just...overreacted, needed to calm down..." He then blinked, looking back at the auburn-haired boy. "What are _you_ doing out here?" Gary shrugged.

"Just passing through when I heard something. Came to check it out...found you." He smiled in his charming way, and slipped the hat back on Ash's head. "Kinda glad I found you, though..."

"Why?"

"No reason, really." He sat down beside Ash. "But I guess now I have one, what with you being all upset..." Ash was giving him a confused look as he continued. "It's no good to be alone and upset. Venting is fun."

They sat in silence after that, eventually holding hands and intertwining their fingers as a sort of support; a base, if you will. They didn't stay that way for long, but it was enough for Ash to realize that stability wasn't just in his mornings...

...

A/N: Did this work out? I dunno; I really just wanted to have them hold hands for some reason...just a sweet, innocent, hand-holding thing. I really love using the soft, seemingly insignificant moments as climaxes, I guess...

Well, tell me what you thought of it! Ja Ne! - AnimeDutchess


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